Key and actuator lock for writing adding machines



June 23; 1931. H. -A. FOOTHORAP KEY AND ACTUATOR LOCK FOR WRITING ADDING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec June 23, 1931. A, FOOTHQRAP 1,811,227

KEY AND ACTUATOR LOCK FOR WRITING ADDING MACHINES Filed Dec. 31, 1920 4 SheeiS-Sheet 2 Elnucnloz,

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Umwun 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 H7 a x .4, 1 V f b r a; z 3 w w 0 a 2 a 7 am a i H. A. FOOTHORAP KEY-AND ACTUATOR LOCK FOR WRITING ADDING MACHINES Filed Dec. 31, 1920 Juhe 23, 1931.

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KEY AND ACTUATOR LOOK FOR WRITING ADDING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 31, 1920 Patented J m 23, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE HARRY ARTHUR IOOTHORLP, OI HA RBISBURG, rmmmvamn, ASBIGNOR TO ELLIOTT-FISHER COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE m AND ACTUATOR, LOOK FOR WRITING- ADDIITG KAGHINES Application fled December 81, 19530. Serial No. 484,952.

' This invention relates to writing adding machines, and has for its object to equip a machine of this character with key locking mechanism which automatically controls the operation of the keys in accordance with the operating requirements of the adding mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the .key locking mechanism as an element of a full-stroke mechanism to insure a complete or full stroke operation of an element of the adding mechanism, as for instance, the restoring member thereof, by retaining the keys in locked condition until the complete restoring operation has been effected and all parts returned to normal position.

Another object is to provide for throwing the adding mechanism entirely out of action so that the machine may be used independently thereof, the mechanism whereby this object is accomplished, havin such relation to key locking and full-stro e mechanisms that the operative requirements of each shall be met. To the accomplishment of these objects and others subordinate thereto, one embodiment of the invention is that to be hereinafter described, illustrated in the drawings and succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of what is known to commerce as an Elliott- Fisher billing machine having my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan view with the parts in normal position.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the subject-matter of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the parts in the positions they assume when the master wheel has moved through the register.

Figure 5 is a front elevationof the subjectmatter of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing more particularly the restorin lever of the crossfooter, the two master w eel locks, and associated elements of the full-stroke mechanism.

Fi re 7 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 4 wit the parts in the positions they assume when the cross-footer has been put out of action by the movement of the master wheel beyond the normal limit of its traversing movement.

Figure 8 is a front elevation of the subjectmatter of Fi re 7.

Fi re 9 1s a detailed view of the lock whic retains the master wheel in the position shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 6 with the restoring lever full de ressed and the associated master wheel ock 1n unlocked position.

Figure 11 is a detailed sectional view of a portion of the ke locking mechanism.

Figure 12 is a etailed section at right angles to the section in Figure 11.

The subject-matter of this invention has been designed with special reference to the Elliott-Fisher bookkeeping machine of commerce, and while a disclosure of the entire machine is unnecessary for the present purpose, it may be briefly stated that this type of machine includes in its usual organization, a flat platen which supports the work sheet, and a rinting mechanism which moves longitudlnally of the platen for line spacing and transversely thereof for letter spacing. The printing mechanism is mounted on a carriage which travels transversely of the platen on. a line space frame which travels longitudinally of the platen. This relative movement of the carriage with respect to the line space frame is utilized to advance a master wheel mounted on the carriage, into operative relation with successive number wheels of one or more adding devices or registers which are mounted back of the carriage on the line space frame. Between the master wheel and the keys of the printing mechanism an actuating mechanism is mounted to cause the rotation of the master wheel a number of increments corresponding to the value of the key depressed. Thus, when a number is printed on the work sheet in a given denominational position of the column, the master wheel accumulates a corresponding value in the number wheel of corresponding denominational position.

Also, it is common in these machines to mount at one end of the carriage an additional computin device enerally termed a crossfooter. he cross-ooter has its own master wheel which moves back and forth across an adjacent series of number wheels and is rotated from and in synchronism with the primary master wheel before mentioned. With this general understanding in mind, we may now proceed with the description-of the illustration which has been deemed necessary for the purpose of this particular disclosure.

1 indicates the carriage of the machine, 2 the adding keys and 3 the key levers which, when swun down by the operation of the keys, efi'ect t e rotation of the primary master wheel, not illustrated, and the cross-footer master wheel 4. Mounted between the key levers 3 are a series of key locking members which, unless obstructed, will swing laterally to afford a passage for the key lever whic is depressed, it being understood that when a key lever has passed between two of the locking members, all of the other locking members of the series will obstruct all of the other keys, thus reventing the operation of more than one key at a time. This construction and arrangement is well under stood.

My present invention, however, contemplates the utilization of the locking members 5 for the locking of all of the keys so that under certain conditions it will be impossible to operate the adding mechanism. This end is attained by removlng one of the members 5 from the series and 1n substituting therefor a pair of locking members 6 swung from their upper ends and having interposed between them what may be termed a spreader 7, located at one end of a spreader shaft 8, mounted in a suitable bearing 9, and having secured at' its opposite end a crank 10 by means of which the spreader shaft may be turned. Normally, the spreader occupies the inactive or unlocked position indicated in Figures 3 and 8, and does not obstruct the spreading of any pair of locking members 5 by a descending key lever.

Under other conditions to be more fully explained, the spreader occupies the effective or locked position best shown in Figure 12, and prevents the locking members from yielding to permit the downward movement of a key lever. A spring 11 tends to rotate the spreader shaft 8 in the direction to unlock the keys and the movement of the crank 10 in either direction is limited by a stop bracket 12 which is engaged by the crank pin 13. Fulcrumed intermediate of its ends on the bracket 12, is a spreader operating lever 14, bifurcated at its upper end to engage the pin 13, and pivoted with a stud'15 adjacent to its angular lower end 16 which is perforated to receive one end of a link 17 connected at its opposite end to a lever 18. The lever 18 is provided with a beak 19 designed to be engaged by the upperend of what may be termed afull-stroke lever 20 mounted on one side wall of the cross-footer 21. At its lower end the lever 20 is rovided with an arcuate slot 22 havin an o set portion 23. The slot 22 is engage by a pin 24 extended from the cross-footer restoring lever 25, fulcrumed at its rear end as indicated at 26 and provided at its front end with a restoring key 27. As thus far described, the mechanism for locking the keys a pears in the aspect of a full stroke device or the restoring lever of the cross-footer.

It may be noted in ssing, that in the usual construction of t e cross-footer, the carrying mechanism which is operated during the adding operation must be reset or restored before another number is thrown into the cross-footer, and it will be seen that those elements of the mechanism thus far described provide for the locking of the keys and prevent the operation of the machine as lon as the restoring lever is out of normal position. In this sense, the mechanism constituted a full-stroke device for the mechanism which restores the cross-footer to normal carrying condition. This will be understood better by reference to Figures 6 and 10 of the drawin s.

The rst downward movement of the restoring lever 25 causes the pin 24, by traversing the offset 23 of the slot 22, to swing the lower end of the full stroke lever 20 forward and the u per end thereof in a rearward direction. is the upper end of this lever is in position to engage the beak 19 of the lever 18, said lever will be swung and through the intermediate link 17 will swing the spreader operatin lever 14 which by engagement with the cran 10 will rotate the spreader shaft 8, and swing the spreader 7 to the locked position shown in Figure 12. The adding eys will now be locked against actuation; the continued downward movement of the restoring lever 25 will be permitted, as the pin 24 will pass down along the arcuate portion of the slot 22 which is concentric with the fulcrum 26 of the restoring lever.

Obviously, the full-stroke lever 20 cannot return to its normal position until the restoring lever is again returned to normal, at which time the entrance of the pin 24 into the offset 23 of the slot will return the lever 20 to normal position and allow the spring 11 to retract the spreader to its unlocked position. The action of the spring 11 is preferably augmented by a spring 28, secured to the lower end of the spreader operating lever 14, and to a fixed part.

The key locking mechanism, in addition to this function as a full stroke device, is intended to prevent the operation of the ma chine after the cross-footer master wheel has moved beyond the last number wheel of the cross-footer series. The cross-footer 21 includes in its organization a series of number wheels 29 across which the master wheel 4 is advanced b a master wheel advancing mechanism inc uding a vertical shaft 30 having oppositely extending arms 31 and 32. The arm 31 engages a pin 33 extended from amaster wheel carriage 34 movable along a guide 35 and engaging the hub of the master wheel 4 to move the wheel along its squared shaft 36 driven from the addin keys in the usual manner. The function 0 the arm 32 will presently appear.

Connected to the carriage 34 and extended through the side walls of the cross-footer frame to permit its movement with the carriage, is a cross-footer carriage bar 37 having its left hand extremity threaded and extended through a flange 38 at one end of a slide 39 suitably guided as indicated at 40 and 40A, and having its rear end 41 upturned to form a projection adapted to engage the stud 15 (see Figure 11), and thus'swing the lever 14 to present the spreader 7 in the locking position as indicated in Figure 5. The threaded end of the carriage bar 37 is not secured to the flange 38, but merely passes therethrough and is equipped at opposite sides of the tween the latter of which and the flange 38 is interposed a spiral spring 44 which permits limited movement of the slide 39 independent-1y of the bar 37 under certain conditions. Normally, that is to say, before the adding operation is commenced, the parts occupy the positions shown inFigures 2 and 3. The master wheel 4 is to the left of the number wheels, the slide 39 is at one limit of its movement, and the spreader is in the inactive position so that the keys are unlocked to permit the operation of the machine. The arm 32 of the master wheel advancing mech anism. is in position to be arrested b a controlling device 45 mounted as usua on the line space frame,,andthe next advance of the carriage will move the master wheel 4 into engagement with the number wheel of highest order. A number may now be written and accumulated in the cross-footer, but as the master wheel moves into mesh with the last number wheel of the series, the master wheel carriage bar 37 will have advanced the projection 41 of the slide 39 into engagement with the lever 14 and will have moved the parts of the key locking mechanism sufiiciently so that upon the next advance of the master wheel, to the first position beyond the number wheels, the spreader 7 will have become effective to lock the keys. Thus, another object of the invention, to wit: the locking of the keys when the master wheel moves out of the register will have been accomplished. This operation of the key locking mechanism to lock the keys will not affect the full-stroke lever 20, because the link 17 will merely swing the lever 18 idly, since said flange with nuts 42 and 43, be-

lever is not positively connected to the full stroke lever 20. y

In the usual operation of the machine, the operator should now depress the restoring lever of the cross-footer to restore the carrying mechanism, since the arm 32 will have passed the control device 45 and have permitted the cross-footer master wheel to be retracted to the left of the register by its retracting spring 46. In accordance with my invention, however, it is the purpose as heretofore stated, to lock the adding keys and to keep them locked from the time the master wheel moves out of the register until the restoring lever returns to normal position after acomplete operation. This would not be possible if the master wheel were permitted to retract immediately after moving out of the register, because, this consequent operation of the fullstroke mechanism, would result in the. immediate unlocking of the keys and the possible operation of the machine before the crossfooter had been restored. I therefore effect the locking of the master wheel, when one increment to the right of the number wheels, and hold it locked until released by the operation of the cross-footer restoring lever which, when once in motion is protected by the full-stroke mechanism against an incomplete operation. This is because the keys locked by the advance of the master wheel will be held locked by the full-stroke mechanism after the master wheel is released and retracted, and until the restoring lever moves back to its normal position. A locking plate 47 is mounted to slide upon suitable guides 48 to present its upper extremity in a notch 49 formed in the under side of the carriage bar 37, when the master wheel moves beyond the number wheels. The locking plate 47 is constantly urged toward its locking position by a spring 49, and at its lower end is provided with an arcuate slot 50 concentric with the axis of the restoring lever 25. The slot 50 receives the pin 24- which is designed, when the restoring lever is fully depressed, to engage the lower end of the slot, and draw back the locking plate 47 to release the carriage bar 37, and permit the retraction of the master wheel by the spring 46. It will now be seen that when the master Wheel moves from the position shown in Figures 2 and 3 to that shown in Figures 4 and 5, the slide 39 will have caused the locking of the keys and the locking plate 47 will have engaged the bar 37 to hold the master wheel against retraction, and to thereby maintain the key locking mechanism in effective position. This inoperative condition of the machine will continue until the restoring lever 25 is depressed. When said lever is completel: depressed, the locking plate 47 will release the bar 37 and themaster wheel will be immediately retracted to the left of the register. This will shift the slide 39 to its are unlocked and the cross-footer is ready for operation.

A further feature of the invention con templates the placing of the cross-footer out of action. To accomplish this end,; ro-

' vision is made for moving the master w eel one step or increment beyond the normal limit of its movement to the right. We have seen that when the master wheel moves beyond the register, the keys are locked by the operation of the slide 39, and the master wheel is locked against retraction by the locking plate 47 Attention is now directed to the fact (see Figure 3) that the notch 49 is of sufiiclently greater width than the plate 47 to permit the bar 37 to move to the right one additional increment or step after being engaged by the lock. This additional'advance of the master wheel to the second position beyond the registeris effected manually by means of a key orhandle 51, and its retractio'n from this position is prevented by a pivoted lock 52 engaging a notch 53 in the bar 37 and urged to ward its locking position .by a spring 54. When the master wheel is shifted over to the extreme right hand position, the lock 52 springs into action, but may be released at the proper time to permit the retraction of the master wheel by depressm what 1s known as the cross-footer release ey 55 carried by the lock 52.

There are two requirements which must be met in connection with this extraordinary movement of' the master wheel to cut out the cross-footer; first,'the unlocking of the keys so that the machine may be freely used for writing or for writing and adding as a simplex machine, by which is meant a machine operated for plainaddi-tion and sub- ,traction without cross-footing; and second,

locking of the keys when the master wheel, upon the operation of the cross-footer release, has moved back again to a position one step beyond the number wheels, so that, if the cross-footer has been left unrestored, it will of necessity be restored before the operation of the machine can be again efi'ected.

To meet these requirements, a simple mechanism has been devised for unlocking the keys when the wheel is moved the extraordis nary step, and for locking the keys as soon as it moves back one step. As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 5, an unlocking lever 56 is provided with a pin 57 with which the nut 42 on the bar 37 contacts when the master wheel moves out of the register. (See Figure 4.) The slide 39, which has locked the keys, is, in this position, disposed closely adjacent to the other end of the lever 56. Thus, when the master wheel is moved over one increment to the right, the nut 42 will swing the'lever 56 and thus push back the slide 39 against the resistance of the spring 44 to permit the keys to unlock. This relation of the parts will be maintained as long as the master wheel is held out of action by the lock ,52, and the machine may be used for writing or writing and adding independently of the cross-footer. Upon the operation of the cross-footer release key 55, however, the master wheel will be permitted to move back to the extent permitted by the slight enlargement of the notch 49, and incidently withdrawing the nut 42 from the pin 57 and thus permitting the spring 44 to restore the slide 39 to its normal locked position. The keys will now be locked again and will remain locked until the restorin lever has been fully depressed and retracte to normal position in the manner before described.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a traveling series of adding keys, and an adding mechanism including a series of number wheels and a master wheel, a key locking mechanism, and means movable with the master wheel to cause the key locking mechanism to lock the keys when the master wheel advances beyond the num- .ber wheels.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of keys, and an addin mechanism including a series of number w eels and a laterally movable master wheel, of key locking mechanism, and means con-trolled by lateral movement of the masterwheelfor causing the key locking mechanism to lock the keys when the master wheel has moved to a pre-determined position and to unlock the keys when the master wheel moves from said position in either direction and means for preventing unlocking of the keys by the movement of the master wheel undercertain conditions.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of keys, an adding mechanism including denomination selecting mechanism, and transfer restoring mechanism, of key locking mechanism effective to lock the keys when the denomination selecting mechanism is moved to a given position, 7 and means operated by the restoring mechanism to 'efiect the unlocking of the keys as an incident to movement of the denomination selecting mechanism to another position.

, 4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of keys, an adding mechanism including a master wheel caring the master wheel carriage against retrackey locking mec anism will lock the keys tion, and means whereby the restoring mechanism will efi'ect the release of the master wheel carriage for retraction and accompli'sh the unlocking of the keys.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of keys, an adding mechanism including a master wheelcar ria e, and a transfer restoring mechanism, of ey locking mechanism under the conjoint control of the master wheelx carriage and the restorin mechanism, whereby sald when the master wheel carriage moves to a Ere-determined position and will retain said eys in locked condition until the restoring mechanism has been completely operated.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a' series of keys, and an adding mechanism including transfer restoring mechanism and denomination selecting mechanism, of means for lockin the keys during the operation of the restoring mechanism and for unlocking said keys under control of the denomination selecting mecha-.

nism when the restoring mechanism has been completely operated.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of keys,- and an adding mechanism including denomination selecting means, of means for locking the keys when the denomination selecting means reaches a givenposltion, means for movlng the denomination selecting means beyond said I position, said means operating to unlock the keys, and a locking device movable to lock the selecting means in its fnost advanced position and to release said means.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of keys, and an adding mechanism including a laterally movable master wheel, of means for locking the keys when the master wheel moves to an inoperative position, means for movin the master wheel beyond such position and or unlocking the keys, and means for locking the master wheel in the position last named.

.9. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of keys, of an adding mechanism including a laterally movable master wheel, retracting mechanism therefor, and a restoring mechanism, of means for looking the keys and for locking the master wheel against retraction when said master wheel moves to a pre-determined position, said restoring mechanism being operative to release the master wheel for retraction and to effect the unlocking of the keys.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of keys, and an adding mechanism including a series of number wheels, a laterally movable master wheel, and

a restoring mechanism, of key locking means 0 erative when the master wheel moves to a glven position, a locking device for preventing the retraction of the master wheel from said position, means whereby the restoring mechanism will efiect the release of the master-wheel for retraction, and means preventing the unlocking of the keys until the operation of the restoring mechanism has been completed.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination. with a series of keys, and an adding mechanism including a series of number wheels, a laterally moving master wheel,

and a restoring mechanism, of two master wheel locks, one for locking the master wheel against retraction from a given position and the other for locking the master wheel in its extremely advanced position, means for looking the keys when the master wheel moves to the given position aforesaid, and for unlocking the keys when the master wheel has moved to its extreme position, a key for releasing the master wheel from its extreme position, means whereby the restoring mechanism will release the master wheel from said given position, and means preventing the unlocking of the keys until the operation of the restoring mechanism is completed.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a series of adding keys, and an adding mechanism, including number wheels, a laterally movable master wheel, and a restoring lever, of means for locking the master wheel against retraction and the keys against operation when the master wheel passes beyond the number wheels, means for releasing the master wheel for retraction when the restoring lever is completely depressed, and means for unlocking the keys when the restoring lever returns to normal position. i

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with keys, and adding mechanism including an actuator movable into different denominational positions, of key looking mechanism including a lock, and a lock actuating member set into lock actuating position by movement of the actuator into the units selecting position and operated to lock the keys by movement of the actuator out of the units selecting position.

14. In a machine of the class described the combination with a series of keys, and adding mechanism including, denomination selecting mechanism having selecting and return cycles of operation, respectively, of transfer restoring mechanism, and key locking mechanism controlled conjointly by the denomination selecting and restoring mechanisms to lock and unlock the keys at the end of said cycles of operation, respectively. I

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a travellin series of keys, and adding mechanism inclu ing denomina- Ill tion selecting mechanism, having selecting and return cycles of operation, respectively, of key locking mechanism controlled by the denomination selecting mechanism to lock 5 and unlock the. keys at the end of said cycles of operation, respectivel In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signatu HA RRY ARTHUR FOOTHORAP. I 

